ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has rejected the U.S. State department’s unilateraland politically motivated pronouncement released in the context of itsannual religious freedom report. In a statement, Foreign Officespokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said besides the clear biases reflectedfrom these designations, there are serious questions on the credentials andimpartiality of the self-proclaimed jury involved in this unwarrantedexercise.
The spokesperson said Pakistan is a multi-religious and pluralistic societywhere people of diverse faiths and denominations live together. Around fourpercent of our total population comprises citizens belonging to Christian,Hindu, Buddhists and Sikh faiths. He said ensuring equal treatment ofminorities and their enjoyment of human rights without any discriminationis the cardinal principle of the constitution of Pakistan.
Special seats have been reserved for minorities in the parliament to ensuretheir adequate representation and voice in the legislation process. Avibrant and independent national commission on human rights is functioningto address concerns on violation of the rights of minorities.
The spokesperson pointed out that successive governments have made it apriority that rights of citizens belonging to minority faiths are protectedas guaranteed by the law and the constitution. The higher judiciary of thecountry has made several landmark decisions to protect the properties andplaces of worships of minorities.
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He said Pakistan has devised legal and administrative mechanisms tosafeguard the rights of its citizens. He said Pakistan does not needcounsel by any individual country how to protect the rights of itsminorities. The spokesperson regretted the proponents of human rightsworldwide close their eyes on systematic persecution of minoritiessubjected to alien domination and foreign occupation such as in theoccupied Jammu and Kashmir. He said an honest self-introspection would alsohave been timely to know the causes of exponential rise in Islamophobia andAnti-Semitism in the us.
